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Silicon Knights gets Ontario government funds

Silicon Knights has gotten nearly $3 million in funding from the Ontario government, which president Denis Dyack says will help the company become self-sustainable, self-publishing, and bring on 80 new hires.

Silicon Knights has gotten an injection of funds from the local government, reports The St. Catherine's Standard. The company received nearly $3 million in funding from the Economic Development and Trade department of Ontario. Company president Denis Dyack said the investment will go towards improving technology, keeping its 97 current positions, and hiring 80 new employees.

Ontario is a hub for game developers, with almost 1,000 companies employing almost 16,000 people in the area. That may be because Canada is kind to developers, with a tax credit that valued at almost $20 million in the last fiscal year, according to OntarioCanada.com. Notable publishers like Ubisoft have opened a branch in Canada, and THQ focused on hiring in Vancouver when it shuttered Kaos.

"With Ontario government support, we are better-positioned to further develop the 8th Art of video games," said Denis Dyack. "This will enhance our competitive edge within the highly-competitive video game market, help us become a self-sustainable, self-publishing entity, and allow us to enter lucrative global markets."

Whatever self-publishing plans Silicon Knights has for the future, they're not going to be put into action immediately. The company is currently working on X-Men: Destiny, which is set to be published by Activision.

Steve Watts

Editor-In-Chief

Steve Watts' youthful memories are are a blur of pixels, princesses, castles, and Mega Busters. After writing about games as a pastime for years, he got his first shot at a paid gig at 1UP. He's freelanced for several sites since then, and found a friendly home at Shacknews. His editorial duties include news, reviews, features, and lunatic ravings. He lives in the Baltimore-Washington area with his shockingly understanding wife.